


Us In Motion

by EverettV



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angels, Demons, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 01:01:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11070780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverettV/pseuds/EverettV
Summary: “Well, it’s not like they have the stories right… Fine. For being a hardened demon, you sure do fall to your knees at the criticism from a human.” He waves a hand and the shards rise in a glow of light. “What do you want from me anyways? Clearly these humans didn’t bless the church well enough if the likes of you can cross onto the premises.” He smirks at Antonio when he looks ashamed of himself. Antonio turns his back on Arthur.





	1. For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shadowrivertonio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowrivertonio/gifts).



> "It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels." - Saint Augustine

Antonio hadn’t been planning on entering the church, that’s for certain. He stows his wings and horns, stepping toward the altar. He kneels, whispering a prayer quietly as he does. Honestly, he’d love to be anywhere but there, especially with who he is summoning with his prayer. Antonio wraps his hand around his rosary beads as he continues to whisper his prayer. Light fills the church, shattering the stained glass outwards. Antonio seals his eyes shut when that happens, getting to his feet. 

“What a way to treat the gifts given to your god, Arthur.” He snaps, brushing some of the glass off his shoulder, opening his eyes when the immense heat is no longer coming off of Arthur. He snorts when he looks right over the angel’s head, eyes meeting with the shining halo. “Are you going to fix it? Humans are pathetic, they’re going to blame me for that mess, and you know it.” He growls. Arthur raises a thick brow then looks at the place the beautiful stained glass was. 

“Well, it’s not like they have the stories right… Fine. For being a hardened demon, you sure do fall to your knees at the criticism from a human.” He waves a hand and the shards rise in a glow of light. “What do you want from me anyways? Clearly these humans didn’t bless the church well enough if the likes of you can cross onto the premises.” He smirks at Antonio when he looks ashamed of himself. Antonio turns his back on Arthur. 

“You know that it’s not about the criticisms.” He mutters, but it is in fact. He hates that the entire human population looks down on him. He despises when people look at him with fear in their hearts. He wouldn’t be in the position he is if it were up to him, he personally blames the angels of heaven for where he is, but that’s not why he called Arthur there, to talk about their pasts. He turns to Arthur again, snorting when he finally notices the clothes Arthur is wearing. “Nice dress.” He mutters, running a hand through his hair. “I need your help, as pathetic as that is.” 

Arthur looks at his outfit and shrugs. “Mandatory dress while up above. And I put on new clothes when I come down usually, because I think they look like shit.” He watches Antonio and smirks softly. “Well well well, what does the oh so high king of hell requires holy help? What could possibly be that big?” He asks, approaching Antonio. He hugs him from behind, pressing the rosary into Antonio’s chest and smirking further when Antonio lets out a quiet cry of pain as it burns through his shirt and the shape of cross with it. “You like it, don’t you love?” He asks softly. “Why do you wear something that causes you pain if you don’t love it?” He pushes Antonio down into a pew and crawls into his lap, smirking down at him. 

Antonio frowns when he feels Arthur’s breath on his ear. He looks up at the angel, setting his hand on his hip. “Get off.” He shoves Arthur backwards, laughing when the blond smacks his head on the pew behind him. “Now, back to business. I need angelic help hunting down someone from my army. He thinks that he can kill two of my higher ups and get away with it. Now, I want to banish him eternally to purgatory.” Antonio explains. “But stuck in an angelic prison would work just as well. Either way I wish to see him suffer for all eternity.” 

Arthur stands up, shimmering white blood decorating the blond locks in the back. He uses white light to heal the wound, flicking the droplets of blood at Antonio, laughing in a haughty manner when he whines in pain. “Oh Tonio, you’re too easy to hurt. It’s so nice that I am an angel.” He plants his hand on Antonio’s forearm and smashes their lips together. Antonio grabs his shoulder, sending a shock of pain through Arthur. 

“You forget that I can hurt you the way you hurt me.” He whispers, biting his ear hard enough to draw blood, smirking at Arthur. “Now, do I have your cooperation? Great, I will meet you here tomorrow to start the hunt.” He tells Arthur, turning and leaving the church, heading to where he was actually supposed to go that night. He had been summoned to a crossroads, and the person’s soul is strong, that excites him deeply. A crunching sound and faint glowing alerts him to the fact that he’s being followed by the angel. “Arthur, why are you following me?” He asks, glancing back at him. 

Arthur gives him a dirty look. “I have to make sure you don’t injure any humans.” He responds and falls into step beside him. “No matter how much I hate these creatures, father created them and wishes for me to protect them, so I will. From the likes of you.” He waves his hand, making himself look more human by taking away his own wings and halo. The slight glow from his skin stays, though, it’s not something he can do anything about. Antonio’s tail lashes to the side, before he makes it disappear as well. 

“Humans are safer with me than they have ever been with your kind. Angels are either reckless or will actually kill a human. I only give them their greatest pleasure for ten years before I take their souls and they descend to hell, where they are actually not tortured, but thanks for spreading that rumour. The worst thing I do is harvest with hell hounds. They feel some terror just before they pass and find themselves standing in line in hell.” He comes to the crossroads where the human is waiting. He looks shocked to see two people. 

“Hello. I would like to be better than my little brother.” He whispers. Antonio nods slowly. “And I am willing to give up anything for it. I want to be good at art and guitar and making friends.” 

“Then you shall have it. Ten years, you get ten years then I will have to bring you to hell.” He explains. He smirks softly. “Good deal?” He asks, pulling the human into a demanding and rough kiss. The human looks dazed as he pulls away, then nods, touching his slightly bloody lip. “Go. It’ll be as you wished.” 

Arthur watches the exchange then follows Antonio on his way back to the church. “Why don’t you just teleport? Won’t you be late for some things?” He asks. Antonio shrugs, smirking slightly at Arthur. He disappears a second later, a single red carnation where he was before. Arthur snorts and also disappears, a crisp white rose sprouting from where he stood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him" - Psalms 62:1


	2. Cynical Skin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature" - Gerard de Neval

“Sir we found him!” A lowly demon runs over to Antonio, who is hunched over his desk. Antonio doesn’t move, tail flicking back and forth in his irritation. He stares down at a map, then looks up when it finally registers what the demon said. “An angel came to the gates of hell with a report, he’s currently here.” The demon points out the location on the map. “The angel is waiting in your throne room, he said he wishes to speak with you, sir.” 

Antonio steps back and heads to the throne room. “Arthur.” The name dies on his lips when he notices that it’s in fact a different angel. “Alfred. What, Arthur couldn’t stoop so low as to visit me at home?” He asks, snorting at how uncomfortable the blond looks. “Well, you can tell your brother that I need him, not his little punching bag. Go home, Al.” He waves him off. Alfred flees quickly, not wanting to spend anymore time in a place so full of sin. 

Antonio sighs softly. Of course Arthur wouldn’t want to visit hell, not when he has a little brother who is easily manipulated into doing things he wants. The problem with that, is that Antonio needs Arthur’s help, not his little pup’s. The door slams open and a rush of holy light fills the room, blinding the devil momentarily. Antonio snorts, turning. “Really, Arthur? What the fuck is your problem?” He hisses, taking ahold of the angel’s soul and pulling him forward by it. “You’re in my domain, you had better watch it.” He growls, blinking and staring into those eyes. 

Arthur is smirking up at him. “Oh Antonio, I love it when you play rough with me. Tug my soul a little harder and scorch it, it feels amazing.” He laughs when Antonio pushes him off. The Spaniard rolls his eyes. 

“You are the most fucking perverted angel I’ve ever met. You know, if you put some of that energy into actually helping people, you might not be in the position you are in. But enough of that, let’s actually discuss what we’re going to do, okay?” Antonio smacks Arthur over the back of the head before walking over to the small bookshelf in the corner of the room. He pulls a book off the shelf and flips through it quickly, the volume musty and old. He pauses on the page he was looking for. “This is him. We have to find him as soon as possible. Him being out of my control leaves both of our realms in serious danger.” 

Arthur looks at the image in the book. “This is… This is a very old volume.” He whispers. “Where did you get… Nevermind, that’s not really important. Isn’t this Aries? What does he want from us?” He asks, leaning over Antonio to read over the page. “I thought he resided in Olympia still.” Arthur bites his lip, looking up at Antonio. “Does he wish to start a war between Heaven and Hell?” 

Antonio nods. “If the realms of Heaven and Hell were to go to war, the world would be destroyed. It would be fresh for starting over, and all the gods would war over it.” Antonio responds, turning to Arthur. “I expect you know why this can’t happen?” He raises an eyebrow. Arthur nods and looks down at the book again, face tight with worry. Of course, the world ending would mean death for many soldiers, which would more than likely include Arthur. Antonio looks down at the face of the person they will soon be hunting down then slides the book back onto the shelf. “Then let’s go. The sooner the better.” 

Antonio grabs Arthur’s hand and teleports to the surface. Arthur falls over when they get there, coughing violently to rid his lungs of black dust. Antonio smirks at him, brushing himself off. “You can’t handle the teleportation from hell? Don’t you know you’re supposed to hold your breath, stupid.” He mutters, making his wings, horns, and tail disappear. Antonio heads out of the abandoned building they apparently entered and looks down the street. It’s surprisingly busy, though he isn’t sure where to start the search for the god. He was told by a lower demon that Aries was last seen here. 

Arthur steps out behind Antonio, wearing a nice white suit. He stowed his halo and wings for the time being, not wanting it to be suspicious, grabbing Antonio’s hand to slow him down again. Antonio’s skin aches where Arthur is touching, but he doesn’t let go. He looks around the world, looking for signs of the god of war. It could be anything, though there have mostly been more bar fights than usual. Antonio heads in the direction of the closest bar, holding the door for Arthur. When they step inside they are greeted by the overwhelming scent of alcohol and blood. There are smashed bottles littering the floor, and bloodied dead bodies decorating the walls, booths, and tables. 

“Well, it looks like we were too late for this.” Arthur says, sighing. “It smells awful in here. Let’s go.” He heads for the door, glancing back when he notices Antonio isn’t following him. Another heavy sigh falls from his lips when he notices that Antonio looks absolutely devastated by the scene in front of him. “Look, it happens. This is how humans are, that’s why they needed it anyway. It’s not your fault, Tonio, so let’s go.” He grabs Antonio’s arm and pulls him away. Antonio stumbles, following him. Tears make their way down his cheeks. The loss of human life he had just witnessed was so completely unnecessary. He should have tried to stop it. He should have helped… 

Wallowing in those thoughts, he’s distracted from his surroundings. He crashes into Arthur when he stops suddenly, blinking slowly at the blond in front of him. Arthur turns to Antonio. “Clean up your fucking face. You’re a mess. How could humans fear you?” He asks. “You’re softer than our Father.” Arthur gently wipes the tears away from Antonio’s face, leaning up to connect their lips in the gentlest kiss he’s ever received. Antonio’s eyes go wide as he feels Arthur’s lips on his own, then slide shut. He holds Arthur’s cheeks between his hands, deepening the kiss gently. A cleared throat makes him pull away in embarrassment, a frown on his lips. 

Arthur smiles at him, leading the now flustered devil away and down the street. They check into many more bars and see much the same scene in most of them. Antonio doesn’t get used to it any of those times, and by the time they decide to stop checking locations, Antonio is sobbing quietly. People give the two weird looks, so Arthur finally pulls him into an alleyway. “I put up with it for a little while, Antonio, but you need to get a handle on this. Cut the shit, I don’t want to deal with your crying. It literally burns my skin, fuckwad.” He snaps, slapping Antonio across the face. Antonio’s head whips to the side, and his eyes go wide. He turns back to Arthur, clearly stunned. 

“What? What do you want me to do Antonio? What are you going to do about it? They’re dead! They’re dead already, dammit! If they went to hell, then take care of their fucking souls, but you have to get a goddamn grip!” He screams. Antonio trembles softly, rubbing his arm softly. He reaches up and touches his now tender skin, biting his lip softly. Antonio looks over, and sees someone staring at them. 

He notices something suspicious about this person. His hand is raised, and pointing at Arthur. Arthur gets more agitated the longer that his hand is up. Antonio looks back at Arthur, gasping softly when he sees the angel producing a long, shiny sword. Arthur glows as he takes on his halo and wings again, rising from the earth. Antonio squints in pain against the light, raising a hand against it. he jumps out of the way when the blade is swung in his direction, grunting in pain when he smashes his wrist on the ground. 

Antonio rolls over quickly, sticking a hand up quickly. The angelic blade sinks through his hand, making him scream loudly. He grabs the glowing metal with his other hand, yanking the blade from Arthur. The angel screams angrily, grabbing it back. He tears it out of Antonio, before raising the blade to slice down on him. Antonio kicks it, sending the blade toward Aries. 

Antonio uses some magic to drive the sword straight through the god. He dies quickly, but painfully in a flash of golden light. The sword sticks from the wall. Antonio relaxes, thinking that it’s over. “Arthur, Arthur it’s okay, I got him.” He tells him, turning to Arthur. The angel turns a furious gaze to him, landing in front of him. 

“You are scum, devil. I will rid the world of you, and make a much better place for our Father’s creations.” His voice is loud, too loud. Antonio covers his ears, but it’s too late. The buildings around them shake with the sheer level of the volume. Arthur summons his blade back to him, backing Antonio into the wall. Antonio looks at him, eyes shining with tears. 

“Arthur, stop! You must stop! The world cannot handle if I am not in control any longer.” He begs quietly, shrinking back. The only way he could protect himself would hurt the nearby civilians and would probably even kill Arthur. He would never be able to live with himself if he killed Arthur. Antonio ducks under the blade again, though this time he’s showered with pieces of brick from the impact. Antonio blinks the grime from his eyes, gasping in pain when he feels tugging at his hair. A chunk of chocolate curls tears from his head, but Arthur doesn’t stop. He pulls harder, lifting Antonio completely off the ground. 

Antonio thrashes, screaming softly at the pain in his scalp. “Arthur! Arthur stop! I love you, stop!” He screams. There’s a pause, the light flickers. Antonio looks Arthur in the eyes. “I love you… I love you, please stop.” He whimpers. They are lowered to the ground, Arthur’s eyes going back to the emerald shade Antonio is so used to. Arthur stares at him in shock, hand finally releasing his hair. 

“You love me?” He asks. “I’m sorry, Antonio, but Aries is not the only one who wished for me to end your life, and I cannot ignore a command from my Father.” He forces Antonio to his knees, putting the blade to his throat. Antonio sits still, shock filling his body. “And for the record…” His hot breath brushes Antonio’s ear, making his breath catch. “I love you so much, my dearest.” He pulls the blade across his throat, watching the bright light that emanates from Antonio’s wound, before dark red oozes from the his neck. Antonio’s body falls forward quickly. 

When people finally make it to the alley to find out what is happening, they find a single white rose in a field of red carnations that everyone is sure were not there before, but no one can rationally explain how they appeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come" - Rabindranath Tagore 
> 
> Happy early birthday, Tonio! I hope you like your present, I love you sweetie!


End file.
